1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the inspection apparatus for checking up a quality of a magnetic tape cartridge, from which a magnetic tape wound on a single reel is drawn out. More specifically, the present invention relates to the inspection apparatus for checking a required force for releasing/hooking the leader pin of the magnetic tape from/to the magnetic tape cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the magnetic tape cartridge used as the external recording medium for recording the back up data of a computer etc, a single reel, a magnetic tape is to be wound, is rotatably stored within a cartridge case. This cartridge case is composed of an upper half and a lower half, and has a nearly flat square shape. In the occasion of using, the magnetic tape is drawn out from the cartridge case, and is wound up by the reel mounted on a read-write apparatus. The magnetic tape is thus traveled.
An opening for drawing the magnetic tape is formed on the side wall of the cartridge case. This opening is normally covered for preventing the intrusion of dust, and is opened at the time of drawing out the magnetic tape for recording or replaying the data on the magnetic tape using the read-write apparatus.
In the magnetic tape cartridge as represented by LTO (Linear tape open circuit) standard among these conventional magnetic tape cartridges, tip end of a magnetic tape is wound on a thin leader pin and is fixed by nipping with a clip having a C-shape in sectional viewing.
When the magnetic tape is drawn out from the magnetic tape cartridge, the leader pin is caught and pulled. Thus the leader pin should be temporary held at the predetermined position of the magnetic tape cartridge. In the view of standardization, not only the required force for releasing the leader pin from the predetermined position of the magnetic tape cartridge but also the required force for hooking the leader pin to the predetermined position of the magnetic tape cartridge are standardized within the predetermined ranges. In the case of the LTO standard, for example, the required force for releasing/hooking should be within the 0.5 to 1.5N.
For measuring the releasing/hooking force required for releasing/hooking the leader pin from/to the holding position, a releasing/hooking test of the leader pin is carried out using a measurement apparatus, such as a compressive tensile load meter. In that occasion, the measurement is performed by engaging a gauge head, which is connected to the compressive tensile load meter, with the leader pin, and pulling or pushing it, respectively.
At that time, it is ideal that the moving of the gauge head and the moving of the compressive tensile load meter should be carried out along the same single imaginary axis, but, in actually, it cannot be achieved. In the conventional compressive tensile load meter, therefore, the gauge head is connected with the compressive tensile load meter through a floating joint for aligning the position of connecting.
In the conventional floating joint, however, the backlash is established in the orthogonal direction with respect to the moving directions (releasing-and-hooking directions) of the gauge head, and is not established in the moving directions (releasing-and-hooking directions).
The moving directions of the gauge head and the moving directions of the compressive tensile load meter cannot be in agreement accurately even if the position of an axis of them are made in agreement using the floating joint. Thus, the slight friction is arisen in the guide mechanism provided for moving the gauge head and the compressive tensile load meter.
The measurement result is therefore affected by this slight friction, the value much higher than the actual releasing/hooking force is obtained as the measurement result, when the gauge head and the compressive tensile load meter are connected through the floating joint.
The present invention aim at providing a releasing/hooking force meter, which measures the releasing/hooking force of the leader pin of the magnetic tape cartridge, and which can measure the accurate measurement value even if a slight force, such as a releasing/hooking force of the leader pin. More specifically, the present invention aim at providing a releasing/hooking force meter, which can measure the accurate releasing/hooking force of the leader pin by buffering the position error between the gauge head and the a releasing force meter.
For attaining these objects, there is provided a releasing/hooking force meter of a leader pin of a magnetic tape cartridge, which measures the releasing/hooking force of said leader pin by carrying out the releasing/hooking test, said releasing/hooking force meter comprising; a first moving part having a gauge head to be engaged with said leader pin; a translation guide for guiding said gauge head in the releasing-and-hooking directions of said leader pin; a second moving part to be connected to said first moving part through a joint; a driving means for achieving the advancing-and-backing movement of said second moving part along the releasing-and-hooking directions of said leader pin; and a compressive tensile load meter for measuring a compressive tensile load add to said joint, and is disposed at either of said first moving part or said second moving part; said joint connects said first moving part and said second moving part in the condition that the back lash is established in the parallel and orthogonal directions with respect to the releasing-and-hooking directions, respectively, and said joint is capable of bringing a compressive or tensile load in the releasing-and-hooking directions.
According to this invention, the back lash is established not only in the orthogonal directions with respect to the releasing-and-hooking directions of the leader pin but also in the releasing-and-hooking directions. Thus, the slight displacement in the advancing-and-backing directions of the first and second moving part, respectively, and the displacement caused by the difference of the manufacturing accuracy are buffered by the joint. As a result of this effectiveness, the accurate measurement can be achieved without affected by the unpleasant frictional force.